Managing Organization

1. Introduction

Our personalities shape our behaviours whereas the personalities of organization shape its culture within. Organizational culture comprises the assumptions, attitudes, experiences, psychology, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of its members and their behaviours. Deal and Kennedy (1982) defined organizational culture as the way things get done around here. One of the most prominent theorists of organizational culture, Edgar Schein (1993), defined organizational culture as a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.

It is difficult to get an agreement on the definition of organizational culture but several concepts are usually agreed upon. It is holistic, historically determined, related to anthropological concepts, socially constructed, soft, and difficult to change.

2. Concept of Organizational Culture

Organizational culture refers to a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes the organization from other organizations (Becker, 1982). Research suggests seven primary characteristic that are the key characteristic of organizational culture. Each characteristic exists on a continuum from low to high. Judging the organization on these gives a composite picture of the culture. The shared understanding that members have, how things are done and the way members are supposed to behave. They are:

Innovation and Risk Taking

The degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks.

Attention to Detail

The degree to which employees are expected to exhibit precision, analysis, and attention to detail.

Outcome Orientation

The degree to which managements are result oriented than on the techniques and processes used...